10 Famous Russian Dancers To Earn Your Follow

Russia is famous for many things, but for the concert-going crowds, it’s the land where many of the best dancers in the world hail from. There’s no shortage of famous Russian dancers who are loved for their charisma, stage presence, and near-perfect technical skills.

In this article, you will find a list of the best Russian dancers and their stories!

But note that since “achievement” and “fame” are relative, there’s no particular order in this list. Every name listed here is the best in the business, and their performances are equally as mesmerizing and great as the others.

10 Famous Russian Dancers To Earn Your Follow

1. Mikhail Baryshnikov – Famous Russian ballet dancer

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In the 1970s and 80s, among the greatest names in the ballet community was Mikhail Baryshnikov. He was famed for his physical prowess and technical knowledge, which allowed him to perform tricky moves with remarkable elegance.

He was born on January 28th, 1948, in what’s now known as Latvia (back then, a state of the Soviet Union.) His mother introduced him to the beauty of the arts through dancing and opera when he was young. And that was the motivating factor that led him to pursue ballet as a profession and a passion.

Like most ballet dancers, Mikhail’s dancing career began when he was young. He took his first ballet classes in 1960 when he was 12. By the time he became an adult, he’s already won many competitions and awards.

His stage presence, physical strength, and “purity of technique” caught the eyes of concert-goers and choreographers alike. Famous ballet choreographers like Konstantin Sergeyev and Igor Tchernikov started writing ballets for him. Some of which, like Leonid Jakobson’s Vestris in 1969, were considered Mikhail’s signature performances.

In 1974, he defected from the Soviet Union to Canada, dissatisfied with the government’s restrictions placed upon his performances and works. For a while after his defection, he joined the American Ballet Theater and went on tours performing classics like The Nutcracker and Don Quixote. Mikhail even got to work with the legendary choreographer George Balanchine from 1978 to 79 during his stint with the New York City Ballet.

After retiring from performance roles, Mikhail took on other roles, like artistic director and choreographer. But most notably, he even became an actor, starring in popular movies and television series like Sex and the City!

2. Altynai Asylmuratova

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Altynai Asylmuratova is a Kazakh (formerly a member state of the Soviet Union) ballerina who rose to great renown in the 70s and 80s. Alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov, Asylmuratova was considered among the best of her time.

She was born on January 1st, 1961, to a family with theatrical history. Her parents graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School and were ballet dancers and choreographers. Even her grandparents were associated with ballet, her grandfather being the chief choreographer at the Kazakh National Conservatory.

So, you can say that ballet runs in Asylmuratova’s family!

Asylmuratova graduated from a ballet class with the famous Soviet ballerina and instructor Inna Zubkovskaya in 1978. She was accepted into the Kirov State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, where she eventually rose to the rank of prima ballerina in 1987. She served in this function until 2000 when she retired from the stage and reverted to a teaching role.

During her time as a ballerina, her popularity was far higher in Western countries than in the Soviet Union due to her frequent tours abroad. Asylmuratova was widely loved both for her physical beauty as well as the beauty of her dance. She has starred in virtually every classical ballet, from The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle to more modern ballets by choreographers like Balanchine and Roland Petit.

You can still find recordings of her performances of Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, Les Sylphides, and The Sleeping Beauty online!

3. Ekaterina Krysanova

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Interested in hearing about an active ballerina that you can go and watch perform right now? Look no further than Ekaterina Krysanova. She’s one of the most famous Russian ballerinas today.

Born in 1985 in Moscow, Russia to a family that’s artistically inclined, Ekaterina was taken by her mother to a ballet class when she turned 8. It proved to be a good decision because young Ekaterina took to ballet with great enthusiasm.

In 1995, she began to study at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Singing Center in Moscow. After hopping from one institution to another to hone her ever-developing skills, Ekaterina ended up at the famous Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 2002, where she graduated a year later in 2003.

But from 1995 to 2003, she didn’t just study. Ekaterina also participated in many competitions. Notably, she won a gold medal in the 2001 Prix de Luxembourg International Ballet Competition. She won several bronze medals in competitions held around Russia, also.

After graduating from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she became a dancer for the Bolshoi Theater. Ekaterina saw a meteoric rise through the rank of the theater, becoming the Leading Soloist in 2009. In 2011, she attained the rank of Principal. It’s a rank that she’s still holding today.

She has performed a great many classic works, like The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote. You’ll also find many of her neoclassical – modern performances online, as well, like The Taming of the Shrew in 2017.

4. Artem Chigvintsev – Famous Russian Latin dancer

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Ballet isn’t the only thing that Russia is known for, though. There’s a famous dancer from Russia in just about every discipline and style of dance. And in Latin dancing, that person is Artem Chivgintsev.

Artem was born on June 12th, 1982, in the former Soviet republic of Udmurt (now a part of the Russian Federation). In 2003, Artem moved to the United States. His first stint with professional Dancing was with the ballroom champion dancer Giselle Peacock.

He applied to be a contestant on the first season of the popular dance reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Unfortunately, he was eliminated with his partner Melissa Vella during one of the rounds. But it wasn’t the last time the public saw Artem on the show. He came back in the second season as a guest choreographer.

But it’s not just So You Think You Can Dance. You can also find Artem’s name and performances on other dance reality TV shows. He was featured on Strictly Come Dancing by the BBC in the show’s series 8. Artem starred in Dancing with the Stars by ABC for several seasons, from season 18 onward.

Artem stood out from the rest in each show with his explosive energy. His attractive look is also one of his greatest assets. After all, unlike a dancer, Artem is a social media personality and an actor!

Read more: https://citydance.org/famous-russian-dancers/